Current controller



Jan. 28, 1941. M. P. LORENZ CURRENT CONTROLLER Filed Jan. 27, 1940 TO FENCE INVENTOR. flaw/v P [OFF/Y2 BY A (Ea-La ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CURRENT CONTROLLER Melvin P. Lorenz, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application January 27, 1940, Serial No; 316,027

2 Claims.

This invention relates to current controllers and more particularly to current controllers for electric fences as employed on ranches, farms and the like to keep live stock within the confines of the electrically charged fence wires.

The general purpose and object of my invention is to provide a current controller of the character referred to which is not only simple in construction and operation, but comprising relatively few parts, is inexpensive to build, install and maintain.

A further object of my invention is to provide a controller in which the oscillatory momentum device is in' the form of a disc and have the disc rotatably connected with its support by an anti-friction bearing assembly, preferably of the ball bearing type, to reduce the power factors required to oscillate the disc and allow it to function in any position, whether vertical, horizontal or otherwise.

A further object of my invention is to provide the supporting member for the bearing assembly with a recess to receive the same, and thus enable the outer ring of said assembly to be fixed against rotation in said recess while the inner ring is free to revolve with the disc.

A further object of my invention is to dispose the disc in offset, but substantially parallel relation to the base member so that a space is provided between the disc and the base member to accommodate and house the support for the bearing assembly, the electro-magnet'and its vibratory armature, the spring device, the contacts and the other parts which are employed to oscillate the disc in the operation of the device.

A further object of my invention is to have the disc in the circuit with the electro-magnet so as to further simplify the construction and to control the energization of the magnet and the primary coil for the fence wires throughthe single set of contacts which are carried by the disc and the vibratory armature, respectively.

In carrying out the foregoing object of my invention, I connect the electro-magnet and the primary coil'in parallel so that the current flow therethrough from the source is controlled by said one set of contacts.

A further object of my invention is to provide the contacts with rounded or curved engageable surfaces to reduce corrosion to the minimum.

The invention consists further in the features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention Fig. 1 is a side elevational View, with parts in section, of a current controller of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the indirect line 2-2of Fig. 1, and looking upwardly toward the underside of the disc as indicated by the arrows on said section line; and

Fig. 3 shows the wiring diagram of the device.

As shown in the drawing, I indicates the base 19 member of my improved current controller. Said base member is preferably rectangular in shape and is made of a suitable insulating and supporting material. In practice, the device is located within a housing or box (not shown) with the base member I disposed and positioned as desired.

Off-set from the base member I is the oscillatory momentum device of my invention. Said device in the embodiment shown comprises a disc 2 of current conducting'material. Said disc is preferably circular and is disposed in substantially parallel relation to the base member I as shown in Fig. 1. This spaces the disc from the base member to accommodate and house the op- 2 erative parts of the controller as will now appear.

Carried by the base member I in this space and in concentric relation to the disc is a supporting member 3. The latter is secured to the base member I by one or more screws 4 as shown. The member 3 is provided at its outer end with an annular recess 5 to mount an anti-friction bearing assembly 6 for the disc. Said bearing assembly in the embodiment shown is of the ball bearing type having outer and inner rings I and 8 and a complement of bearing balls 9 between them as in structures of this character.

The outer ring I has a non-rotative connection with the support 3 either by a tight fit in the recess 5 or by means of one or more set screws ID as shown. The ring 1 seats against the bottom wall II of the recess 5. The inner ring 8 is free to revolve and is connected to the disc 2 by a fastening element in the form of a bolt I2. The latter extends freely through the inner ring and the disc, the latter having a centrally disposed aperture to pass the bolt. The bolt is clamped to the inner ring 8 by one or more nuts I3, I4 located between the disc and the inner ring. A nut I 5 screws on the outer end of the bolt beyond the disc to clamp the disc to the inner ring for rotation therewith. The head of the bolt I2 is located beneath the inner ring 8, the support 3 being made hollow to accommodate the bolt head as shown. The clamp nuts I3, I4 also serve as spacers to provide a space between the disc 2 and the support 3 to receive the inner coiled end of the spring which rotates the disc in one direction as will presently appear.

The disc 2 has a diameter suflicient to give it the desired mass and to extend the disc to a substantial extent beyond the supporting member 3. In this way the disc not only provides a housing for its associated parts, but may be kept relatively light in weight as it may be made of a thin sheet metal.

Located in the space between the disc 2 and. the base member I are the spring heretofore referred to and an electro-magnetic means which oscillates the disc in opposite directions to pcriodically make and break the circuit through the fence Wires in the operation of the controller device.

The electro-magnetic means referred to comprises an electro-magnet l6 and a vibratory armature I1. The magnet is mounted on the base member I by means of a bracket la, the base flange I9 of which is secured to the base member by screws 20. The other flange 2| of the bracket is secured to the magnet by a screw 22 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The bracket is at the end of the magnet coil opposite the armature ll, which latter comprises a strip of the desired current conducting and spring material anchored at one end to a post 23 carried by the base member I. The free end of the armature I1 is provided with a return bend 24 which bend carries an electrical contact 25. The disc carries an electrical contact 26 in the path of the contact 25. The contact 26 is on a rodlike element 2'! secured to the disc 2 and extending from the underside thereof toward the base member I as shown.

The spring means heretofore referred to is of the spiral type as shown at 28 in Fig. 2. Said spring occupies a substantially parallel position to the disc and the base member and has its pposite ends anchored to the base member and to the disc, respectively. shown, the anchorage to the base member comprises a post 29 secured to the base member. The other anchorage comprises securing the spring, as by spot welding 30, to one of the nuts 13 or H! on the fastening element I2 as shown in Fig. 2. With the nuts l3, l4 serving as spacers and of a diameter considerably less than that of the supporting member 3, the coiled inner end of the spring 28 may be brought relatively close about the axis of rotation of the disc and also be located in the space between the disc and its supporting member 3. Hence, the desired power may be gained by a spring of relatively short length.

The disc 2 is balanced by counter-weights, one constituting the contact carrying element 2! and the other comprising a similar element 3! secured to the disc in diametric relation to the first mentioned element as shown. These elements are disposed adjacent to the periphery of the disc to be carried about with the same exteriorly of the electro-magnet, the spring and the other parts of the unit located between the disc and the base member I.

The wiring diagram or circuit for the controller device as shown in Fig. 3 comprises the battery leads 32. and a battery 3d. The lead 32 is connected to one terminal of the electro-magnet coil is and the lead 33 is connected to the post In the embodiment wires at the required intervals.

29 for the spring 28. This connects the lead 33 to the disc contact 26 through the disc and its spring and its bolt 12. A wire 35 connects the other terminal of the coil [6 to the armature post 23 which completes the circuit back to the battery when the contacts 25 and 26 are closed. The transformer 36 has its primary coil 3! connected in parallel with the coil 16. This is accomplished by having a wire 38 connecting one terminal of the primary with the battery lead 32 and there grounded at 39. The other terminal of the primary is connected by a wire 40 with the lead line 35 of the coil [6. The primary and the secondary coil 4| of the transformer 36 have a common lead through the wire 38 to one side of the feed circuit. The other side 42 of the secondary circuit is connected to the fence wires. The usual protective condenser 43 is connected across the contacts 25, 26 as shown. The transformer 36 is constructed to supply a high tension current to the fence wires for animal shocking purposes on each closing of the contacts 25, 26 of the controller device.

The controller device operates as follows. The spring 28 normally rotates the disc in a direction to close the contacts 25, 25. Hence, the device at rest is always in position to start on closing the switch 44 in the battery or supply circuit. This circuit in practice is usually a six volt D. C. source. When the switch is closed the supply current energizes the magnet coil "5 attracting the armature I1. This imparts an impulse to the disc 2 in a direction to separate the contacts and rotates the disc against the tension of the spring 28. As soon as the spring overcomes the inertia of the disc, the spring reverses the direction of rotation of the disc and re-engages the contacts 25, 26. This re-makes the circuit through the coil l6 and the operation is repeated as long as switch 44 is closed.

The extent or amplitude of oscillation of the disc is indicated by the broken line a in Fig. 2. This distance may be adjusted by controlling the tension of the spring. In the embodiment shown, the extent of the oscillation is sufficient to make and break the circuit through the fence With the pri mary coil 31 connected to the D. C. leads and in parallel with the coil IS the current flow through the primary will be controlled through the same set of contacts 25, 26 which control the energizing of the magnet coil l6. Hence, the secondary or high tension circuit to the fence wires is controlled through the same set of contacts which make and break the circuit through the coil.

It will be observed that the controller device is not only simple in construction and operation, but comprising only a relatively few parts, is inexpensive to build, install and maintain. The anti-friction bearing assembly which provides the rotative mounting for the disc reduces the power factors required to operate the disc and, hence, a relatively light and inexpensive spring may be used to rotate the disc to engage the contacts following each de-energizing of the magnet coil. With the disc spaced outwardly from the base member, the operative parts of the device may be conveniently located within the confines of the disc and being between the disc and the base member are housed, so to speak, by both of the same. This contributesto the compactness of the whole assembly and enables the base member to be used as the main support for the entire controller unit within the box or casing which encloses the controller unit and the other necessary assemblage of parts.

The return bend section 24 on the armature l1 provides a cushion to take up the shock of the impact of the contacts 25, 26 on their engagement under the rotative force of the spring 28 on the disc 2. With the engageabie surfaces of the contacts 25, 2B rounded or curved and the contact on the disc moving in the arc of a circle, this contact has a wiping action in the armature contact and corrosion of the contacts is reduced to a minimum.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described may be variously I changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, except as pointed out in the annexed claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A current controller of the character described comprising, a base member, an oscillatory momentum device in the form of a disc spaced from and in substantially parallel relation to the base member, a supporting member carried by the base member for the disc, an antifriction bearing assembly carried by the supporting member and providing a rotative mounting for the disc on the supporting member, an electro-magnet and a vibratory armature therefor mounted on the base member for rotating the disc in one direction, a spiral spring for rotating the disc in the opposite direction, and a circuit including separable contacts on the armature and the disc for making and breaking the circuit through the electro-magnet in the oscillation of the disc, said contacts, magnet, spring, armature and supporting member being in the space between the disc and the base member.

2. A current controller of the character described comprising, a base member, .an oscillatory momentum device in the form of a disc spaced from and in substantially parallel relation to the base member, a supporting member carried by the base member for the disc, an anti-friction ball bearing assembly carried by the supporting member and providing a rotative mounting for the disc on the supporting member, counterbalancing weights on the disc in the space between the disc and the base member, electromagnetic and spring means mounted on the base member within said space for oscillating the disc in opposite directions, and .a circuit including separable contacts for making and breaking the circuit through said electro-magnetic means in the oscillation of the disc, one of said contacts being carried by one of the counter-balancing weights.

MELVIN P. LORENZ. 

